Tufts students were affected by at least two instances of criminal activity this weekend.
Two men held a student at gunpoint on Friday at 1 a.m. as the student was walking near Curtis St. and Conwell Ave. and stole his laptop and cell phone. Later that day, police apprehended three men in South Hall who were allegedly stealing a laptop and a PlayStation.
The Tufts University Police Department (TUPD) sent an e-mail to all students on Friday detailing the first incident.
"The suspects were described as two black males, in their early twenties, each approximately six-feet tall with a thin build, both wearing black clothing and hooded sweatshirts," the e-mail said. "One suspect displayed a black handgun."
They asked the student to hand over his laptop and cell phone. "[He] complied and was then ordered by the suspects to go into a yard and climb a fence. The suspects then fled in an unknown direction," the e-mail said.
TUPD Captain Mark Keith told the Daily yesterday that the incident is still under investigation and is being handled by the Somerville Police Department with the assistance of his office.
In response to this incident, Keith said that TUPD patrols have increased, especially during weekend nights between 10 p.m. and 3 a.m.
"We're looking to have a visible presence around, not only in patrol cars but [from] uniformed walking officers as well," he said.
Senior Katie Levan noticed this presence the next night as she saw police stop a man walking in front of her and compare his face with a photo of what she assumed was a suspect. Still, she is taking precautions for her safety.
"I decided that I would take better care and be more aware of my surroundings because I didn't want something like that to happen to me," she said.
Levan is a resident of Sophia Gordon Hall, as is senior Rony Jacques who first heard about the robbery from a friend who works for TUPD. "He said 'Watch out because the perpetrators still could be out,'" Jacques said.
Jacques grew up in Medford and said that "being from here I know where to be and where not to be at certain times." He also always makes sure he's not alone or at least that someone knows where he is.
Keith advised students to take similar precautions.
The incident in South Hall took place at 11:15 p.m. on Friday evening.
"A student called indicating that he just observed three suspicious males who gained entry into South Hall and the reason why he believed they were suspicious is he saw them hanging around the side door for a little while trying to get in," Keith said.
They eventually gained access through the front door and when police officers responded they found the men on the second floor with a laptop and a PlayStation.
Officers arrested all three and charged them with breaking and entering and larceny after they admitted that they did not own either device.
Keith said that they were not Tufts students and were all between the ages of 17 and 19. Senior and South Hall RA Jesse Gossett is not worried about any more thefts at the expense of his residents.
"Students who lock their doors and stay vigilant of suspicious activity have nothing to worry about," he said in an e-mail to the Daily.
Still, he said that he hopes that the incident does not cause too extreme of a reaction.
"A strong community is built around open doors and welcoming rooms. This does create a risk of theft, but it also creates a community where people watch out for each other and are more aware of their surroundings," he said. "Besides my computer which is locked down, the only thing I really care about is my plant."
-Rob Silverblatt contributed reporting to this article.
